Scientific Program Manager Lead
Independent nonprofit AI-and-biology research institute developing biomedical AI models, data resources, and research tools.
About Arc Institute
Arc Institute is a Palo Alto-based nonprofit research organization founded in 2021. It supports long-term biomedical research and develops experimental and computational technologies, including virtual-cell models and open data resources, in partnership with Stanford, UC Berkeley, and UCSF.
Skills
Candidate Availability
Required and preferred rules are kept separate and reflect the wording in the original posting.
About the Role
You will lead multidisciplinary research programs and scientific collaborations. You will set objectives, timelines, governance, and milestones; facilitate meetings; resolve blockers; allocate resources; track progress; advise leaders on program strategy; establish scalable management systems; mentor staff; and lead change-management work.
Requirements
- PhD in Life Sciences or a related field and 8–12 years of program management experience in a research or translational setting
- Experience managing external scientific collaborations, strategic alliances, or academic-industry partnerships
- Background in genome engineering, multi-omics, cellular engineering, or another relevant biology area
- Experience managing complex multi-stakeholder research projects
- Experience building and scaling program management or alliance management functions
- Experience with Asana, Jira, Smartsheet, or similar project management tools
- Experience leading cross-functional and cross-institutional initiatives without direct authority
- Experience managing and mentoring team members
- Excellent communication skills
Responsibilities
- Lead and coordinate research initiatives across Technology Centers and external collaborators
- Manage internal and external scientific collaborations and strategic alliances
- Structure and negotiate collaboration frameworks, governance models, and joint milestones
- Manage relationships with key partners and resolve collaboration issues
- Facilitate cross-functional and cross-institutional meetings
- Implement program management frameworks, project tracking systems, and collaboration processes
- Identify strategic partnership opportunities and recommend them to leadership
- Track and communicate project and partnership progress
- Advise leaders on program design, risk mitigation, resource planning, and collaboration strategy
- Mentor junior program management staff
- Lead change-management efforts
Benefits
- Annual discretionary bonus